Backpack with retractable seat

ABSTRACT

A backpack with a retractable seat is disclosed having a pouch with a sleeve secured thereto. A seat is selectively positionable within the sleeve and has extension straps secured to a lower portion thereof and retraction straps secured to an upper portion thereof. The lower portion of the seat is wider than the upper portion. The seat is deployed by gripping the extension straps and withdrawing the seat. The seat is then bent to conform to the lower back and hips of a user such that the lower portion is directly beneath the user. The seat is retracted by pulling on the retraction straps. In an alternative embodiment, the seat comprises multiple panels folded over one another when retracted into the sleeve.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to backpacks and more particularly to accessories for enhancing the functionality of backpacks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is convenient in many wilderness activities to sit and rest. Backpackers often sit while hiking or at a campsite. Hunters will often sit for hours in cold or wet conditions waiting for prey. Often there is no natural formation where one can sit comfortably without getting dirty. Some attempts have been made to make lightweight portable seats. However, the undersides of such seats are inevitably dirtied. The seat thereafter cannot be conveniently handled or stored without spreading dirt to the user, a storage bag, and the seating surface of the seat.

In one prior system, a retractable seat is positioned within a vest against a user's back. The user pulls the seat down to sit on it and pulls a single strap near the shoulder to pull the seat into the vest. In such systems, after the seat has been used once and retracted, dirt and debris adhering to the seat is transferred to the inside of the vest. When the seat is extended again, the dirt and debris is pressed against the user's clothing. Such systems have the further disadvantage that when retracting the seat, the seat must be dragged across the user's back, which may tug at the user's clothing and require a great deal of force if the user is not wearing low friction materials.

In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable seat providing a clean comfortable seating surface while reducing the potential for dirt to be transferred from the seat to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a backpack having a retractable seat. The backpack includes a pouch for storing articles. A sleeve secures to the pouch and receives a seat. The seat includes extension straps secured to a lower portion thereof that are gripped by a user to withdraw the seat from the sleeve. Retraction straps secured to an upper portion of the seat and are gripped by a user to retract the seat into the sleeve. The retraction straps may pass through channels secured to carrying straps, such as shoulder straps, in order to position the ends thereof in an accessible position.

The seat may have a widened lower portion suitable for sitting on. In use the seat is bent such that the lower portion is positioned directly below the user. Inasmuch as the upper portion is not directly sat upon it may be made narrower and therefore lighter in weight.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side cutaway away view of a backpack having a retractable seat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a backpack having a retractable seat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side cutaway view of the backpack of FIGS. 1 and 2 having the retractable seat in a deployed position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the backpack of FIGS. 1 and 2 having the retractable seat in a deployed position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram of a method for using a backpack having a retractable seat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side cutaway view of an alternative embodiment of a backpack having a retractable seat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a backpack having a retractable seat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a side cutaway view of the backpack of FIGS. 6 and 7 having the seat in an extended position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is front view of the backpack of FIGS. 6 and 7 having the seat in a retracted position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a front view of a backpack having a multi-panel seat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a backpack 10 includes a pouch 12 and one or more carrying straps 14. A sleeve 16 secures to the pouch 12 and contains a seat 18. The carrying straps 14 secure at their ends 20 a, 20 b to the pouch 12 or the sleeve 16. The seat 18 typically includes a cushion or pad, which may be covered with a wear resistant material. The cushion or pad may have insulative as well as cushioning properties. The sleeve 16 may be embodied as a cover 22 secured at its lateral edges to the pouch 12 such that the seat 18 is positionable between the cover 22 and the pouch 12.

One or more extension straps 24 secure to a lower portion 26 of the seat 18 and one or more retraction straps 28 secure to an upper portion 30 of the seat 18. In practice a user pulls on the extension straps 24 to withdraw the seat 18 from the sleeve 16 in order to sit on the seat 18. In the illustrated embodiments, the extension straps 24 include loops of material secured to a lower edge of the seat 18.

The user pulls on the retraction straps 28 to retract the seat 18 into the sleeve 16. The retraction straps 28 may extend through retraction channels 32 secured to the carrying straps 14. The retraction channels 32 may serve to retain a loop 34, or handle 34, in a position readily accessible by the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the retraction channels 32 are embodied as sheets 36 of material secured along their edges to the carrying straps 14 to form a channel containing the retraction straps 28.

Retracting the seat 18 into the sleeve 16 ensures that any dirt or debris adhering to the seat 18 will be deposited on an area that is not in contact with the user. Thus, when the seat 18 is withdrawn for a second use, dirt and debris from a first use will not be deposited on the user of the seat 18.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the cover 22 may be formed as a pad 38 or have a pad 38 secured thereto to enhance user comfort. The sleeve 16 may further include extensions 40 extending outwardly from the pad to receive a seat 18 having a wide lower portion 26. The extensions 40 may secure to a hip belt 42 secured to the pad 38 or the pouch 12.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in the extended position, the seat 18 is available for sitting on by a user. In some embodiments the seat 18 bends to conform to a seated user, such that the lower portion 26 is located directly beneath the user. Alternatively, the seat 18 may be substantially straight when in use. Flexible stays 44 made of flexible plastic or the like may be positioned within the seat 18 to give shape to the seat 18 while still permitting bending thereof. Inasmuch as the lower portion 26 is the only portion actually sat upon in some embodiments, the lower portion 26 may be made wide enough for comfortable sitting whereas the upper portion 30 is made narrower. In this manner, the overall weight of the seat 18 is reduced.

Referring to FIG. 5, a method 46 for using a backpack 10 with a retractable seat 18 may include withdrawing 48 the seat 18 from the sleeve 16, such as by pulling on the extension straps 24. The lower portion 26 may then be bent 50 relative to the upper portion 30 to conform to a seated user. The user may then sit 52 on the lower portion 26. The seat 18 may then be retracted 54 into the sleeve by pulling on the retraction straps 28.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, in an alternative embodiment, an end 56 of the retraction strap 28 secures to the seat 18 or to the strap 28. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, as the seat 18 is extended, the strap 28 is drawn into the sleeve 16 such that the length of the exposed strap 28 is substantially the same in both extended and retracted positions.

Referring to FIG. 10, in another alternative embodiment, the seat 18 is wider than the sleeve 16 such that it must be rolled, compressed, folded, or otherwise deformed, in order to be retracted into the sleeve 16. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the seat 10 has multiple panels 18 a-18 c. The panels 18 a and 18 c are folded over the central panel 18 b when the seat 18 is in a retracted position. The multi-panel seat 18 may serve as a sleeping pad, diaper-changing pad, and the like. In this and other previously described embodiments, the seat 18 may secure to the retraction straps 28 by means of quick-release buckles 58 or the like such that the seat 18 can be readily removed from the pack 10.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow. 

1. A backpack comprising: a pouch; a sleeve secured to the pouch; a seat selectively positionable within the sleeve comprising a retraction strap secured to an upper portion of the seat and extending upwardly out of the sleeve; an extension strap secured to a lower portion and extending downwardly out of the sleeve; and one or more carrying straps each having two ends secured to at least one of the pouch and the sleeve.
 2. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the seat is substantially wider than the upper portion.
 3. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a cover secured at lateral edges thereof to the pouch, the seat selectively positionable between the cover and the pouch.
 4. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the cover secures to the pouch at an upper edge thereof.
 5. The backpack of claim 4, further comprising a pad secured to the cover.
 6. The backpack of claim 5, wherein the pad extends over a substantial portion of the cover.
 7. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the retraction strap is a first retraction strap, the seat further comprising a second retraction strap secured to the upper portion thereof.
 8. The backpack of claim 1, further comprising retraction channels secured to the at least one carrying straps, the retraction straps passing through the retraction channels.
 9. The backpack of claim 8, wherein the retraction channel is a sheet secured along its edges to the carrying strap, the retraction strap passing through the retraction channel.
 10. The backpack of claim 8, further comprising two carrying straps.
 11. The backpack of claim 1, further comprising a hip belt secured to at least one of the sleeve and the pouch.
 12. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the retraction strap has an end secured to a middle portion of the retraction strap, a portion of the sleeve being encircled by the retraction strap.
 13. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the seat comprises multiple panels overlaying one another when the seat is positioned within the sleeve.
 14. A method for using a backpack comprising: providing a pouch; providing a sleeve secured to the pouch; providing a seat positioned within the sleeve comprising a retraction strap secured to an upper portion of the seat and extending upwardly out of the sleeve; an extension strap secured to a lower portion and extending downwardly out of the sleeve; providing one or more carrying straps having two ends each secured to at least one of the pouch and the sleeve; positioning the one or more carrying straps around the body of a user; pulling on the extension strap to draw the seat out of the sleeve; and pulling on the retraction strap to draw the seat into the sleeve.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lower portion of the seat is substantially wider than the upper portion, the method further comprising bending the seat to conform to the user when seated and supporting the lower portion on a support surface and sitting a user on the lower portion.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleeve comprises a cover secured at lateral edges thereof to the pouch, the seat selectively positionable between the cover and the pouch.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the cover secures to the pouch at an upper edge thereof.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a pad secured to the cover and extending over a substantial portion of the cover.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the retraction strap is a first retraction strap, the seat further comprising a second retraction strap secured to the upper portion thereof.
 20. The method of claim 14, further comprising a retraction channel secured to the at least one carrying straps, the retraction strap passing through the retraction channel.
 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising two carrying straps.
 22. The method of claim 14, wherein the seat comprises multiple panels, the method further comprising: unfolding the multiple panels to deploy the seat; folding the multiple panels prior to pulling on the retraction strap to draw the seat into the sleeve
 23. A backpack comprising: a pouch; a cover secured at lateral edges thereof to the pouch; a seat selectively positionable between the cover and the pouch, the seat comprising first and second retraction straps secured to an upper portion of the seat and extending upwardly therefrom; an extension strap secured to a lower portion and extending downwardly therefrom; first and second carrying straps each having two ends secured to at least one of the pouch and the sleeve; and a hip belt secured to at least one of the cover and the pouch. 